21 pages • 42 minutes read
An Agony. As Now.
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Further Reading & Resources
Related Poems
“Black Art” by Amiri Baraka (1965)
This poem is Baraka’s most influential poem as it inspired the Black Arts movement in theater. Baraka outlines his belief that Black artists should no longer try to meet white artistic standards or seek white culture’s validation while calling for violence to create a Black world. The aggressive, militant tone and offensive racial terms caused controversy at the time of publication.
“Incident” by Amiri Baraka (1969)
“Incident” is an example of how Baraka uses extreme violence to call for radical change. This poem describes the violent murder of a man.
“Staggerlee Wonders” by James Baldwin (1982)
Like Baraka, Baldwin saw poetry and politics as interconnected, and he often used his work to call for radical political change. This poem begins with a conversation between a Black man and a white woman before becoming more philosophical. In the end, Baldwin is arguing for Black survival in the face of white racism.
“Power” by Audre Lorde (1978)
Lorde also uses her poetry to call for political change. This poem describes the police killing of the 10-year-old Black boy named Clifford Glover in graphic detail to express her rage. She condemns police brutality and criticizes systemic racial injustice.
Further Literary Resources
A Black Arts Poetry Machine: Amiri Baraka and the Umbra Poets by David Grundy (2020)
Grundy’s book uses archival research and close readings of poetry to study the importance of the Umbra group, of which Baraka was a part during the time of “An Agony. As Now.” was published. He focuses on their poetic forms and radical, militant politics. Baraka is one of the poets prominently studied in this book.
“The Black Arts Movement and Its Critics” by David Lionel Smith (1991)
This influential 1991 article considers the state of scholarship surrounding the Black Arts Movement at the time. Because he found the amount of scholarship lackluster and the arguments overly critical, he argues for a reassessment of the movement and its influence. In the decades after the publication of this article, the general perception in academia has become more positive and more research has been done on the movement.
“Amiri Baraka Analyzes How He Writes” interview by Kalamu ya Salaam (2003)
In this interview, Baraka explains parts of his process and elements of his style.
“LeRoi Jones/Amiri Baraka and Me” by Ishmael Reed (2014)
Black poet and novelist Ishmael Reed describes his complicated relationship with Baraka and the Black Arts Movement as a whole.
“Jazz in the Poetry of Amiri Baraka and Roy Fisher” by Mary Ellison (1994)
Ellison considers the influence of Jazz on the musicality of Baraka’s and Fisher’s poetry. The musical quality of Baraka’s work is what often leads to its musical accompaniment.
Dutchman directed by Anthony Harvey (1966)
Written shortly after “An Agony. As Now.,” this film is based upon Baraka’s most influential play and is considered an early work of the Black Arts Movement.
For colored girls who have considered suicide / When the rainbow is enuf by Ntozake Shange (1975)
Shange picks up many of the Black Arts Movement’s concerns and weds them with feminist ideas. The play’s experimental form reflects the movement’s push to move away from white standards. In addition, she draws upon Black genres and symbols in this play. Despite these influences and due to his misogynistic ideas, Baraka denied her connection to the movement.
Listen to Poem
Listen to YouTuber Harrodpoetaster read Baraka’s poem “An Agony. As Now.”
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